Battlefield Stroll at Champion Hill
By Rebecca B. Drake
On May 16, 2009, the Champion Heritage Foundation will host an all-day event to commemorate the 146th Anniversary of the Battle of Champion Hill. Mark your calendar and plan to attend.
The activities will begin at 8 a.m. on the grounds of the Champion Hill Missionary Baptist Church - the site of the original Champion family home, which was burned by the Yankees in 1863. Signs along the Champion Hill Road west of Bolton will mark the way. At 9 o’clock, Dr. Timothy Smith, author of Champion Hill: Decisive Battle for Vicksburg, will speak on the battle which changed the course of the Vicksburg Campaign as well as the entire war.
During the ceremony on the church grounds, Sid Champion, the fifth generation Champion to hold the name “Sid,” will unveil a new historic marker to be placed on the Hill of Death. The marker was made possible by the Champion Heritage Foundation and is the second of its kind to be placed on the battlefield. Following the unveiling, the marker will be transported to the Hill of Death where it will be permanently placed.
The Battlefield Stroll, a one-mile walk through the heart of the battlefield to the Hill of Death, will begin at 10 o’clock. At 11 o’clock, as the group assembles on the Hill of Death, there will be a brief ceremony conducted by Brig. Gen. Parker Hills (Ret.), followed by a living history featuring numerous re-enactors. A tractor-pulled trailer will be available for those who need transportation.
The afternoon events will be held on the grounds of “Matilda’s House” located approximately an eighth of a mile west of the Champion Hill Baptist Church. A lane leading off to the right of the road will be marked with signs or balloons to point the way.
Afternoon events will include: Lunch on the Grounds ($8.00 a plate), book signing by Dr. Timothy Smith, Grady Howell Jr., and Rebecca Drake; living history demonstrations; “Laying of the Flowers” in the Champion Family Cemetery and at the Margie Bearss Memorial; unveiling of a painting Col. Cockrell, CSA, Leading a Charge During the Battle of Champion Hill by Jerry McWilliams, artist; and a gun raffle. The winner of the gun raffle will receive an 1858 (replica) Army Texas .44 Caliber Revolver.
Come and enjoy the ambiance of the day as well as history in the making. Wear comfortable shoes and bring insect repellent for the stroll. Don’t forget to bring your camera and throw in a lawn chair for the afternoon events at “Matilda’s House.”
For further information call 601-953-4755 or visit www.battleofchampionhill.org.